


Tantalus and the Timely Meeting

by nonky



Category: Nancy Drew (TV 2019)
Genre: F/M, Gen, Season/Series 01
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-19
Updated: 2019-11-19
Packaged: 2021-02-13 02:28:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,735
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21486814
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nonky/pseuds/nonky
Summary: "Was it Nick? Two weeks ago you didn't even like me dating him, and now he's your spy into my actions," she said bluntly. "I was at the party. It wasn't a good idea, but it was necessary. Just like you working for the Hudsons again. I don't ask everything about your life, Dad, because I don't think either of us is ready to know. I am being as careful as I can be, but no one is trying to solve these murders."He bit back something she knew would have been revealing, and pressed his knuckles to a folder. "I work for clients who sometimes ask for things I wouldn't personally be okay having done on my behalf," Carson said. "But I work within the law. If my morals take a hit, I do it to make sure I can provide for you and your mom."
Relationships: Nancy Drew/Owen Marvin
Comments: 1
Kudos: 17
Collections: Nancy Drew TV Series (2019)





	Tantalus and the Timely Meeting

"Exhibit A, one Marvin family hair sample."

Nancy smiled as she brought the hair sample out of her purse, waving it around and handing it over to Bess' clapping victory dance. 

"Oh my God, thank you! This is so great," she said happily. "I'm going to show Ace."

Surprised by a quick hug, Nancy was left alone in the empty dining room. She looked around at the complete lack of business and wondered if she should offer to do something for George. Her boss and former classmate was coping well after her ghost possession and the breakup with Ryan Hudson. She was never going to be a softy. But she was stressed about the restaurant if they couldn't bring some of the regulars back. 

As someone who liked being self-sufficient, Nancy appreciated George's desire to come up with her own solutions. She could be prickly when help was extended. After the short but oddly significant visit with Owen, Nancy would be just as happy to get a day off. At least it would save paying out her salary, when there were no tables to serve. 

She thought about calling Nick and seeing if he wanted to go to a movie. He'd have to blow off his afternoon, but he was always working extra in the evenings. He could get away with it as long as he wasn't with a client. She had almost made up her mind to knock on the office door and take her chances with George when the phone rang. 

"Hello?"

"Nancy, I need you to come home right away," her father said. His tone was the brusque lawyer voice he rarely used on her. "It's important. I'll meet you there, as soon as you can."

She felt a little bit of apprehension despite her resolution not to worry about her legal trouble. If Carson Drew was known for anything, it was his job. He would get her out of the worse of the charges, and argue the prosecution down to minimal punishment. She was young enough a judge would want to be lenient. 

"Okay Dad, I just have to let George know," she said. "See you in a minute."

She was sorry she hadn't been faster making up her mind about a movie with Nick. Another half hour and she could have been in the dark theater with her phone off, enjoying her popcorn and her boyfriend's company. 

She shrugged off the dread and steeled herself to face George. It was important to remember she wasn't seeking the thrills of detective work just for the kick of it. She was trying to help people, like she'd helped Bess. 

Nancy let herself into the house and toed off her shoes, heading to her father's office. He would be there. Her mother had made it a rule not to allow work to infect the whole house. Her civilizing influence kept the living room for television and reading, and the dining room for meals. Nancy and Carson hadn't been using either room a lot since she'd died and left them to work as much as they liked. 

Her father sighed as she appeared, and she hated that reaction. It was one thing to be still at home and stuck there for the near future, and another to be a burden. She knew he loved her, but it didn't feel good being his greatest source of stress. 

"Nancy, have a seat," he told her. "I took a meeting this afternoon from someone who was worried about you. The person didn't think you'd be happy with the intervention, but there was a sincere concern. I was told you went to the party at Blackwood Lodge with Ryan Hudson. There was an attempted theft of antiquities from their charity auction, and you were right in the thick of it. Sweetheart, I will support you through everything, but what the hell are you doing?"

He didn't raise his voice, and the lack of anger hurt. She was screwing up more as she tried to correct her course, and he was forced to defend her anyway. 

"I needed to know some things about the night Lucy went to the same party with Ryan," she said, hearing her voice going sharply defensive. "I wasn't there as his date, Dad, I just needed to see the building and get some context."

"Lucy Sable? You're risking prison time to solve a murder from two decades ago? Nancy, this is getting insane. I'm really worried about you. I was told - you think you're being haunted?"

No stranger had tattled to her father. Ryan had as much reason as she did to keep the secret. One of her friends had approached him and exposed all the things she'd worked so hard to make sure he didn't have to help her hide. 

"Who were you talking to," she asked. 

"I doesn't matter. It was someone in a position to know what you've been doing, and who I think cares about you enough to know you'd be angry at him for speaking up."

Nick, she thought immediately. The meeting had obviously just happened, which left out George, Bess and Ace because they were at work. She'd seen Owen not two hours ago, and Nick had been distant since the party. She'd been assuming he was reading through Tiffany's files, and giving him space to make sense of it. But while Nancy had been content to let him do what he felt was necessary, he'd been contacting her father. 

"Was it Nick? Two weeks ago you didn't even like me dating him, and now he's your spy into my actions," she said bluntly. "I was at the party. It wasn't a good idea, but it was necessary. Just like you working for the Hudsons again. I don't ask everything about your life, Dad, because I don't think either of us is ready to know. I am being as careful as I can be, but no one is trying to solve these murders."

He bit back something she knew would have been revealing, and pressed his knuckles to a folder. "I work for clients who sometimes ask for things I wouldn't personally be okay having done on my behalf," Carson said. "But I work within the law. If my morals take a hit, I do it to make sure I can provide for you and your mom."

The mention of Kate Drew was the tipping point to make Nancy cry. She didn't want to be a failure and a disappointment, but she couldn't get anything right without making it all worse. It felt like without her mother, she'd never get back on track. 

"Mom's not here," she said weakly. "And now the people I've been trusting I can't trust! I'm trying to live the only way I know how, if I'm doing it wrong it's something wrong with me. And that means I'm just broken."

His expression was agonized, and hurting him didn't give any satisfaction. Nancy was so tired of suffering quietly, seeing her father suffer quietly and knowing both of them were doing it in a futile attempt to spare their shared pain. 

"Nancy, don't run off," he said tightly. "Stay here. We'll talk. We'll really talk." 

She couldn't breathe and couldn't stand him looking at her. "I can't. I need some air." 

She was outside and walking briskly away from the house before she realized she couldn't go back to the restaurant or to Nick's. She was gulping at tears and her free afternoon had turned into a nightmare. 

Nancy kept walking, and managed to get herself calmer as she hit the busy streets of tourists. Horseshoe Bay was having a strong summer season, which made it even more damning she'd managed to find work at the one failing hospitality business. She was walking a careful route to avoid the garage and The Claw, pretending to window shop when a hand caught her forearm. 

"Nancy, hi." 

Owen Marvin smiled at her, and his face dimmed to a mild expression of concern when she looked at him. He let her arm go and dug for an actual cotton handkerchief in his pocket. 

"Here. It's a hot day. Your eye makeup is getting away from you a little." 

Nancy didn't want to see herself, but she took it with a mumble of thanks and dabbed under her eyes. She could feel Owen suppressing questions, and made herself smile. 

"I took off from work early to go to a movie and ended up getting into a fight with my father," she said. "And now I'm at loose ends. But I'm fine. It looks a lot worse than it is, I'm sure." 

He shook his head. "It still looks pretty, but sad, too. I'm sorry your day didn't work out as planned," he said gently. "What movie were you going to see?"

She shrugged. "I didn't really care. The restaurant was empty and it was getting tense with the extreme lack of business. I just felt like playing hooky."

Owen nodded, and his face tipped to one side slightly. "I mean, I know I'm not part of the original plan, but I'd see a movie. It doesn't even have to have car chases or explosions."

Part of her wanted to be left alone to wallow, but she'd been glad to see him. He was good at being eager without applying awkward pressure. 

"I'm partial to dense subtitles in Czech," Nancy said lightly. "And nothing too happy. If there isn't a famine, it's not even entertainment."

He actually stuck the tip of his tongue between his teeth and bit it before nodding. "Definitely. Bring all the starvation and lots of reading. But I will say we might have to settle for a gritty character study of a strong, principled person on the verge of personal and professional failure."

She sighed dramatically. "Okay, I'll put up with that, but that person had better not do the right thing and eventually get the due recognition of being the good guy in the end."

"I think there's one where he just gets hit by a bus and they roll credits."

In a graceful, old-fashioned move, Owen held out his arm and she took it. Nancy felt her sore eyes give a twinge at the idea of hours staring a large screen, but she smiled anyway. 

"Sounds like a good time," she told him.


End file.
